Formulation and R&D
Custom supplement formulation and product development
From an idea to a formula that can actually be made at your dose, in the right format, at a cost that works. We check feasibility before anyone pays for R&D.
How does custom supplement formulation work?
Custom formulation starts with a feasibility check, not a fee. We look at your active ingredients and doses and confirm the format can carry them: about 10 percent of a gummy's weight can be active, 60 to 80 percent of a tablet's, and close to all of a capsule's fill. If the dose does not fit the format you asked for, we say so and propose the one that does, before any R&D begins.
A custom project then moves through five phases, each with your approval before the next: product brief, formula architecture, bench and sensory development, pilot and scale-up, and production readiness. There are three ways in: a market-ready formula (little or no development), a modification of an existing formula (flavor, dose, color, format or serving), or a ground-up custom build. Ground-up and modification work carry a development fee, part of which is credited toward your first production order.
Last updated September 22, 2026
What formulation covers
Format and dose design
The right format for the right dose: gummy, tablet, chewable, capsule or stick pack.
Flavor and taste masking
Bitterness, acidity and metallic notes handled so the product is something people keep taking.
Advanced delivery
Liposomal encapsulation of suitable actives; sublingual mouth-melt tablets are in development.
Energy without the jitter
We work with paraxanthine as well as caffeine for easier-to-flavor energy products.
Natural colors
Natural colors or none, ahead of the market's move away from synthetic colors.
Scale-up on the same team
The people who design the formula are the people who run it at scale.
The five development phases
Product brief
What you are selling, to whom, at what price, with which actives and doses.
Formula architecture
Actives, forms, excipients, flavor system and format, checked for feasibility.
Bench and sensory development
Prototypes, taste and texture rounds, with your feedback at each gate.
Pilot and scale-up
A production-scale run and its COA, which is the number to trust.
Production readiness
Specifications, packaging and label locked, ready for the first production order.
Questions about supplement formulation
How do I create a custom supplement formula?
Start with the customer and the outcome, then the actives and the dose the evidence supports, then the format that can carry that dose. A manufacturer's formulator turns that into a formula, runs prototypes and scales it up. Bring what you have, even if it is only an idea and a target price, and we will tell you what is feasible.
Who owns the formula?
On a ground-up custom project, you own the final approved formula once all development invoices are paid and the first production order is complete. Our own pre-existing platforms, processes and supplier relationships stay ours.
How much does custom supplement formulation cost?
It depends on the lane. A market-ready formula needs little or no development fee. Modifying an existing formula and building a new one carry development fees that scale with the work, and part of the fee is credited toward your first production order. We price your project after we see the brief.
Can I bring my own formula?
Yes. We review it for feasibility, sourcing and label compliance, and treat it as a modification project. Formula details you share are handled as confidential, and we can sign a confidentiality agreement first if you ask.
Will you steal my formula?
No. Client formulas, concepts and supplier combinations never feed our own product ideas; that is a standing rule for our house brands. Ask for a confidentiality agreement before you share anything sensitive.
Related services
Gummy manufacturing
Pectin or gelatin, vegan or sugar-free, your shape and flavor, made in a GMP-certified facility in the USA. We tell you before R&D starts whether your dose fits in a gummy.
Tablet manufacturing
High-dose tablets, chewables and coated tablets, designed around the dose your customer actually needs. Natural colors or none.
Capsule manufacturing
Gelatin or vegetarian capsules filled with your blend or ours, then inspected, bottled and labeled. The simplest way to carry a big dose with no taste problem.
Tell us what you're making. We'll come back with a plan.
A short brief is enough: the product idea, the active and dose you have in mind, the channel you're selling into, and the volume you're planning for. We reply within one business day.
info@mcm-labs.com · (702) 728-0966